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Tuesday, December 28, 2010

This week I'm featuring a mother-daughter jewelry making team from Washington State. Cindy and Marilyn own and operate Cksilver. As may be apparent from the shop name, both enjoy working with silver when making their jewelry. Both also share an inspiration from the beauty of the natural world. Much of the jewelry you'll find in this shop will feature semiprecious stones, pearls, Swarovski crystals, and natural color. Here are some of my favorite pieces from Cksilver:

Be sure to check out the shop and comment here to let us know which of the pieces are your favorites!

Until next time,
Elle

I'm a part of an Etsy team called Boosting Etsy Shops Team or BEST. The purpose of the group is to provide promotion for each team member through our existing social networking accounts. Each week I'll be doing a blog feature about a different team member.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

The Elle's Beads Blog has opened up guest posting opportunities to knowledgeable craftspeople who are enthusiastic about handmade. I hope you enjoy this new endeavor!

With so many shops and sites selling mass-produced clothes on the cheap, how’s a girl to show her sense of style - without spending a fortune? Of course there are loads of ways of styling up an outfit to inject some personality, but for a guaranteed unique look, handmade clothes are the way to go.

﻿When I say handmade, I don’t mean that you have to hunch over a needle and thread to get that “authentic” look. Shop-bought patterns, whizzed up on a sewing machine can still have loads of personality as well as being a perfect fit. The trick is to look for patterns marked as simple or easy, and if you’re not sure how to do that go ahead and ask the shop assistant for help!

Now you want to pick fabric that’ll make your simple pattern shine. Seek out vintage fabrics, patterns and colours that you love, to make even the simplest smock stand out. Or get playful with your choice of dress fabrics - try velvet instead of cotton, embroidered fabrics and brocades.

If you’re panicking at the mere thought of crafting your own clothing, there’s still lots you can do to get the homemade effect. Even simple customisations, like stitching a trim to a skirt or cutting a new neckline into a plain t-shirt, can transform your clothes instantly.

And there are a whole host of fixings and fastenings that can be used on your clothes to minimise stitching. From safety pins for a punk look to fabric glue and the less messy fusible fabrics – sometimes called “no sew” adhesives. Just place the adhesive between the two pieces of fabric, iron and voila! You’ve just customised your clothes.

﻿If you’re brave enough to give a homemade dress a go, but are still scared by proper patterns, get online. There are loads of great craft blogs with simple tutorials for dresses, shirts and skirts for maximum impact with minimum effort.

Or if you prefer books, there are lots to choose from. I’m a fan of Yeah, I Made It Myself by Eithne Farry. The subtitle - DIY Fashion for the Not Very Domestic Goddess - tells you all you need to know about this book.

Once you’ve got the hang of dressmaking, you’ll find her simple ideas a little pedestrian. But if you’ve got enthusiasm and not a whole lot of technical skill, it’s a great starting point – even Coco Chanel had to learn somewhere.

So if you’ve got a fabulous fashionista inside you just waiting to break out, start to make your own clothes. Not every experiment will work, but you’ve got to keep going until you’ve built up the skills to personalise your entire wardrobe (although you don’t have to customise/hand make everything).
Good luck!

About The Author

Katie Saxon is a devoted crafter who loves to make clothes. She’s working for White Lodge Fabric, a UK-based online fabric shop selling dress fabrics worldwide.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

This week I'm featuring Moonangelnay, another brilliant photographer from the BESTeam. The artist, Naomi, hails from Birmingham, UK and specializes in both photography and digital art. Her shop features her photography in the form of prints, photo jewelry, calendars, collage sheets, and more. As you'll see when flipping through the pages of her shop, she finds inspiration in color, contrast, and nature. Naomi's work is multidimensional as well - she strives to move beyond the level of just "physical art" or "home decor" and into a higher level that reflects her philosophy. Because of this, I've chosen to showcase items from her shop that spoke to me or moved me in some way:

Find an item from this shop that speaks to you in some way and be sure to come back here to tell us which one it is!

Until next time,
Elle

I'm a part of an Etsy team called Boosting Etsy Shops Team or BEST. The purpose of the group is to provide promotion for each team member through our existing social networking accounts. Each week I'll be doing a blog feature about a different team member.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

This week I'm featuring some familiar artisans, Zoie and Leal of Gilliauna. As you may remember from my first feature on this duo, Gilliauna has a wide variety of handmade jewelry, rosaries, lanyards, eyeglass chains, and bookmarks. Essentially, their shop includes a little something for just about everyone on your shopping list! They even offer a layaway plan, for which you can find the details here.

As this is a BESTeam feature, it should also be noted that Gilliauna was awarded the very first Member of the Month award this November for their participation in the Boosting Etsy Shops Team (BEST). Congratulations to them for the award!

Please check out the shop and let us know what items are your favorites!

Until next time,
Elle

I'm a part of an Etsy team called Boosting Etsy Shops Team or BEST. The purpose of the group is to provide promotion for each team member through our existing social networking accounts. Each week I'll be doing a blog feature about a different team member.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

This week I'm featuring the fine art photographer Danielle Elizabeth from Peru, IL. Danizabeth, as she's known, is a trained graphic designer working in that field. She also has experience in painting. However, photography is where her passion is directed after work hours and her subject matter is often a reflection of her personal childhood experiences. Be sure to check out her Etsy profile to find out how. Reflected in Danizabeth's work is a sense of nostalgia and an aptitude for capturing beauty with a lens in unexpected places. Here are my favorite photos from her online collection:

As you can see from the listings, Danizabeth's standard photos are 8x10 matte. However, she offers a wide variety of other sizes, which you can find listed along with the pricing in her policies section. Find Danizabeth at these locations around the web:

Be sure to come back after you've checked out the shop and let us know in the comments which photo or series is your favorite!

Until next time,

Elle

I'm a part of an Etsy team called Boosting Etsy Shops Team or BEST. The purpose of the group is to provide promotion for each team member through our existing social networking accounts. Each week I'll be doing a blog feature about a different team member.

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